The lives lived by Earth's defendors
by Pearlislove
Summary: We all know that Rose Quartz, Pearl, and Garnet fought for 5000 years to protect Earth. But they couldn't have fought alone, could they? This the story of the gems that we know must have been there, but never heard of before.
1. Prouloge: Welcome to the Crystal Gems!

**Authors Note:**

 **Hi guys! So here I am, with YET another Steven Universe story that will PROBABLY have Garnet x Pearl (Pearlnet) shipping at some point in time because i can't seem to avoid it…**

 **BUT it'll mostly be about me sharing my headcanons about The Rebellion and me showing off my OCs as well as a few borrowed OCs (will be credited when they appear)**

 **Remember: If you want to see it updated, favourite and comment**

 **I own nothing but the OCs Chloromelanite, Black Tourmaline, Citrine and Emerald.**

 **Canon compliant until Steven Bomb 4**

This, Garnet realised, was bigger than she'd ever known. Than anyone had known, really. If anyone had known that the rebellion was this big, then they wouldn't have ignored And somehow, without meaning too, She had had gotten in the middle of all of this - an attempt to overthrow Blue Diamond and protect this measly planet. She had become a rebellion..

After she had met with the pink Quartz (Though there was no such thing as a pink Quartz, Garnet knew, so it meant once she must have been known as someone or something else) and her renegade Pearl (How did a Pearl become so very very _free_ she wondered?), and to ensure that she 'Rose' had had a quick talk with her including basic information about Ruby, Sapphire and most of all: Garnet.

'What did Ruby and Sapphire do before they left?' She asked, smiling and urging them to tell her, ensuring that neither Garnet, Ruby nore Sapphire had anything to fear. The answer came soon thereafter: Ruby was a soldier. Sapphire was an arare aristocrat who served Blue Diamond mainly. None of them had really been that fond of their respective roles in society, but had come to accept their fate rather quickly after creation. It weren't like they were ever given a choice.

'What's your name, together?' It seemed more like an afterthought, something she hadn't realised she didn't remember to ask until now. This felt harder to answer, but she at least had one. Her/their name was/were Garnet. She/they was/were named Garnet together ( she hadn't quite figured out what it meant, though, or how she could know).

'What do you believe could be your weapon? Do you have one at all?' She said, this time blushing and apologizing, admitting she knew very little about Sapphires and Rubies individual abilities. she had had Carnelians as guards because they were more stable and better company, and she had refused to lead a court on Home World, because she couldn't find any gems that she had wanted in it (which meant that she could never have been a Quartz, because a Quartz would never have a court).

They're Gauntlets, she told her. Her weapon was gauntlets. Both Ruby and Sapphire had a gauntlet each as weapons, os it was only logical.. Or ,they thought both had a gauntlet. Sapphire had actually never had to or even, just for the sake of it, tried to summon hers, but she felt what it would be inside her, and she saw it, too.

'And last but not least, are you ready to meet the others?' As Rose said this, the face of the Pearl lit up, too, and she let out a long gasp that was probably meant to be a sentence. It seemed like she couldn't wait to get back to...however 'the others' were. Garnet was a little confused about that, not really understanding what they were talking about. She had so far assumed there would be no more gems except Rose and the Pearl. After all, those were the only rebels known to Home World, and the only ones Garnet had ever seen in her visions so far.

Upon seeing her confused face, Rose had laughed and told her that yes, of course there were more rebellions that just her and Pearl. The Pearl herself, though, simply scoffed and mumbled something about 'stupid, confused paint-buckets...will never be good soldier material...bet the others will love love love her...' that Garnet pretended not hear. The Pearl's comments hurt, of course, but she had gotten an impression that this Pearl was quit easy to get on the wrong side of, so she didn't think much of it. She assumed that as soon as she did something 'positive', the Pearl would turn around and love her again.

Next, they had said they'd show her their large, well-equipped base in the djungle that they had worked hard for weeks to put together. By the sound of it it was really something they were proud of. Garnet thought it sounded real good, and she couldn't wait get to see it…

Until she got there, and saw that it was neither big nor well equipped. it was just a simple cave, with a small warp pad in a corner and Garnet silently wondered why they lied. If Rose really had been a high up gem back on Home world, like Garnet suspected, then surely she couldn't consider it to be the way she described it, could she? maybe she was confused...she did seem a little 'spaced out' at times.

A thing they didn't lie about, though, was that there were more rebels. In the small, dark cave that Rose called their base, there had been at least 10-20 gems awaiting the return of their leader and next in command (Garnet assumed by the way pearl acted that she was second in command). All of them either sitting on the floor or standing along the walls. Some seemed anxious, others happy, a few was crying or showed evidence of having cried, but most of all they just seemed surprised and shocked when she stepped into the cave alongside Rose and Pearl, clearly not having expected to see a fusion like her in their home.

Some of the gems, in fact, was staring at her in such a way that Garnet immediately realised that she was the first fusion they'd seen in their _entire lives._ The knowledge filled Garnet with pride, as she felt that it was right for them to see what a **real** fusion looked liked the very first time. It meant they'd never be confused how a real fusion was supposed to be like...because surely she was a better fusion, than the one Ruby had created together with Ruby C4 -33 and Ruby C4-34?

It felt odd though. To call herself a real fusion. Hadn't what Ruby had done with the other Rubies been real fusion? No, she decided, it was not real fusion if the feelings for one another was not real.

When they had made their way about halfway into the cave, a grey skinned gem that looked like she was at least 6 feet tall minus the high heeled shoes she was wearing, appeared before them. The gem, which didn't have her gemstone visible anywhere, was dressed in a loose red top and an aquamarine skirt that matched her long, wavy hair in the very same colour. The grey gem, Garnet immediately observed, was also followed closely by a similar looking grey coloured gem. The smaller one was, however, clearly not the same kind of gem, because her body was significantly smaller and she was dressed in an oversized yellow sundress instead if the bigger gems red and blue blouse and skirt combo. And opposed to the gem the smaller of the two was clinging to, she was not wearing any shoes, either.

Stepping in between Rose and Pearl, the grey gem held out some kind of charts for Rose to see, at the same time updating her on what had happened during the time that the two of them had been gone. Apparently it was _a lot_ that had happened, because the gem continued talking for a long period of time, only quieting down as they reached the back wall of the cave, and, Garnet suddenly noticed, an entrance to a side-cave.

Here, Rose and Pearl continued forward, venturing into the dark hole in the wall without the slightest bit of hesitation and without another word leaving Garnet behind with the two unknown gems and a cave full of _other_ unknown gems that was starring at her expectantly.

But that was two weeks ago.

By now, Garnet knew the two gray gems was named Black Toumalin (the small one) and Chloromelanite (the bigger one) and the later had been the mistress of the former while they both served a common master above all. She also knew that the both of them had been forced to escape from Home World when their master died in order to avoid being crushed and repurposed.

Chloromelanite had already on Garnet's first day of staying in the cave become her personal guide and informant, to which she could always turn when needing help or advice or if she wanted to ask something about anything or anyone. Of course she could always go to Rose, too, but Rose had explained her that it'd be better to have a more available gem for her to talk to when she wanted to ask a question or if she required any assistance.

Plus, Pearl had added - ever so helpful like a Pearl should be - that Chloromelanite would need to check on her at least once a day to see how her abilities and skills, both in combat and otherwise, was developing, anyway.

Chlor (as she insisted Garnet call her, preferring it over her full name of 'Chloromelanite' ) and her little Toumalin, that Garnet now understood was more of a little sister than a servant, had in turn also introduced her to some other gems that they knew to be rather open minded and thought she could get along with. Garnet had thanks to that quickly made friends, and she was getting more comfortable with her new life for every day that passed.

This had been the beginning of how Garnet had learned to know not only the brilliant Rose Quartz and her renegade Pearl, but also gems like Chloromelanite, Black Tourmaline, Citrine, Emerald and later also two vastly different Amethysts, all of which she later in life would think of as her closest family and friends.

Of course there had been many more gems among the rebellion, too, and all of them had been her comrades and allies of Garnet. However, some of these gems, they was and had been more than that. They had been her _friends_. The first friends Ruby, Sapphire _and_ Garnet had ever had. And they were the best of friends, too, because they made her who she was.

They made her a Crystal Gem


	2. Chapter 1: A talk with Tourmaline

"Hey...uh...Garnet?"

A small, high pitched and oddly familiar voice called for Garnet's attention as she was sitting propped up against a stone wall and meditating quietly, thankful that most gems were outside training with Chlor, Rose and Pearl and thus leaving the cave mostly silent so that Garnet could relax and indulge in inner conversations with her two parts.

Cracking one eye open, she noticed the one talking to her was Black Tourmaline, Garnet's guide Chloromelanite's protege that she constantly babied, most probably more than needed. Though on the other hand, looking at Tourmaline now, standing there in a loosely fitted yellow sundress that went all the way down to her toes, Garnet could understand what Chlor was thinking. Tourmaline looked dangerously fragile sometimes, especially on her own.

She remembered having met with the young gem already when she first arrived at the cave on about three weeks ago, but the little thing had seemed to be shy and quiet by nature, so she hadn't had the chance to get to know her well, nor had she heard her speak before.

Earlier, when Tourmaline had had something to say, she had either whispered it to her 'sister', Chloromelanite, letting say it for her, showed it in some kind of weird hand signs that it seemed only the Pearl understood, or did a combination of both.

To be completely honest, this lack of direct communication had led to Garnet believing Toumalin had some kind of serious impermanent or malfunction in her gem that caused her troubles with her speech. Sapphire had heard stories about gems, mostly Pearls, that had different problems that caused them to be unable to speak in coherent sentences, and even known a friend who ended up with such a Pearl. Garnet assumed maybe Tomalin's also could malfunction like that? However, now, when the small gem was standing here in front of her, it seemed as if she'd been mistaken. This gem could most definitely speak in coherent sentences.

But, she then realised, this was also the very first time she had had a chance to meet her alone without Chloromelanite being close by. It confused her, though, because this was something that according to her fellow rebels was practically unheard of, as far as they had seen. Rose had tried to separate them in the beginning, thinking Tourmaline was clinging to the other gem because she felt compelled to, but stopped when she realised that not leaving her sister was an active choice the smaller gem was making.

With all this in mind, Garnet was very curious to see what the small Toumalin had in store for her, figuring that she was up for a real interesting conversation...

"Can I sit down?" Toumalin asked, having continued when she received no answer to her first comment, though her voice sounded just a bit more strained than when she started. Garnet figured into getting a direct response to her actions gave a feeling of discomfort to that kind of gem that tourmalines were.

"Yes" Garnet answered, and Ruby made sure to put just a little extra work into making it sound soft and friendly, feeling afraid that she'd scare away Toumalin like a wild animal if Garnet continued to sound the same cool way as Sapphire always did.

"Thanks" She answered with more confidence than before, sitting down and letting the yellow fabric of her sundress pool around her on the stone floor as she flexed her small, naked feet that stuck out from underneath the fabric. "You know, I never really cared for shoes. Chlor says she feels vulnerable without them, which I can understand, since her gem is on her foot and all, but i just feel it's uncomfortable and restricting"

Garnet was taken aback by the sudden small talk the other gem was making, but sensed that it was just a random fact she threw out to make Garnet feel more at ease before getting down to business and telling her what she really wanted to ask, so she decided to roll with it.

"Is that so?" Garnet asked, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on her lips. She hoped Toumalin would be satisfied with the response, because there was something about the gem that made her feel happy. Maybe it was that the girl just like Sapphire had a very shy and secluded nature, or something else, but she felt comfortable being around her.

"Yep" Toumalin agreed, lifting her feet in the air for a bit, studying them happily while she did. She relaxed a little before taking a deep breath and continuing, her voice suddenly shaking "C-can I talk to you about...about Homeworld? Please?"

There it was. Tourmaline real intention: she wanted to talk about Home World. All since Garnet had come here, she had constantly been asked about Home world. Most gems around here was lower class gems and having an upper class gem like Sapphire among then gave them a rare opportunity to ask certain questions that no one but a high up gem serving the Diamonds directly could answer.

However, Garnet knew this was not going to be the normal set of questions about the life of an upper class gem; she could feel that Toumalin wanted to ask something special. Garnet didn't know what, as her visions wouldn't cover it, but she knew that it would be of essence that she let the girl open up and listened to her. If she didn't, she could see futures where the girl either ran away or...Garnet didn't want to think about the second option for the wrong future.

"Go ahead" Garnet said, the smaöer gem looking at her in confusion before taking a deep breath and starting.

"Chlor don't even let me talk about it, but…" Tourmaline paused a little. "I miss Home World. I had a good life there. I liked looking after Chlor and Carnelian, and Red Coral would always sneak me some treats when no one was looking! When I came here Rose just assumed i hated everyone from back home but...I don't"

Garnet stiffened as she heard this. She missed Home World, too, or her parts did...she had never actually been there. But the memories was strong and vivid and beautiful and she knew that she would probably go back there one day, if there had been any chance that she could do it in her current state...which she of course knew there wasn't. She was staying on earth, and that was final. Beside, the planetoid was rather nice to be on, anyway...

"Who's Red Coral?" Garnet asked, trying to distract the girl as much as herself, not wanting the girl to start rambling about her life back on Home World, not wanting a faltering system glorified by telling her stories of her - apparently - rather merciful existence back there. She didn't need it, it didn't help her overcome her homesickness.

"She...is a Pearl that's not a Pearl, really. Corals are a beta-version of Pearl's, you could say.. Our master, Carnelian, was a really old and faithful servant of the Diamonds; especially Rose. A good old pacifist at heart even though he was made to fight. A-and Coral...Coral was gift after he won his first war for the Diamonds... I miss them so much…"

As she finished talking about her old master and his servant, and about what - as far as she understood it - had essentially been her family and her entire world beside Chlor, she lowered her head into her knees and started crying. First, the crying was quiet and subtle but it quickly grew as she unleashed emotions that Garnet suspected had been suppressed for far too long.

It made her feel better about making her cry. She was helping the poor gem who, just like Sapphire, was so very used to suppress her emotion for the benefit of others. It was not that they felt repressed, that they weren't allowed to let out their emotions, like Pearls, but that they didn't feel like bothering everyone else by letting them out.

Of course, Garnet regretted it again a second later when Chlor came into the cave again and saw her 'sister' crying on the floor.

"Toumaline! Oh dear god are you alright?" There was raw fear in her voice as she, not giving Tourmaline a chance to answer before hoisting her off the floor. "Come on, come with me outside and we'll play some of those games you wanted to play with me, okay?

"Okay, thanks Chlor!" Tourmaline said, using the hem of her dress to dry her tears as she was carried by the taller gem, clutching one arm tightly around her neck for support.

"Chlor, Tourmaline, wait!" Garnet (or actually Ruby) called out as the later was carried to the opening in the cave.

"Yes?" Chlor turned around, Tourmaline gathered up in a big yellow ball in her arms, snuggling her close.

"I know her, the gem you told me about...she's alright" Ruby said with , speaking through Granet and making her show off huge, lopsided grin. "She's safe, I promise"

And Garnet knew, deep at her core, that it wasn't a lie. Ruby had seen her walking through the corridors back on Home World, an odd looking, short and rather chubby Pearl with crimson skin and creme coloured hair that went almost all the way down to her ankles. Ruby had never understood where a Pearl so different, odd in both looks and behaviour, had come from, but hearing of a beta-version of Pearls called 'Corals', it all made sense finally.

The smile Tourmaline gave her was brought from the heavens. The bigger gem holding her looked plainly confused and possibly the smallest amount of irritation as she continued to carry her 'sister' out of the cave, but Tourmaline was happy and contempt and Garnet felt exactly the same way, because for the first time since she came to the cave and the Crystal Gems, she felt like there was a plus side for her being there.

"Oh, and Garnet? You should get outside. Citrine and Emerald was looking for you!"


End file.
